


Who Would Want To Hurt Lando?

by ZDcookie_996



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Misunderstandings, Protective Carlos, Protective Max
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:07:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21824134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZDcookie_996/pseuds/ZDcookie_996
Summary: Carlos walks in on Lando changing and notices he has bruises on his body. He's concerned that Max is hurting Lando but is the Red Bull driver actually hurting his boyfriend? Or is it someone else?
Relationships: Charles Leclerc/George Russell, Lando Norris/Max Verstappen
Comments: 61
Kudos: 113





	1. Bruises

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Restricted Work] by [kakkakerssi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kakkakerssi/pseuds/kakkakerssi). Log in to view. 



> This story is inspired by the amazing kakkakerssi, however, this story is different in the sense that it isn't Max who is hurting Lando. See if you can guess who it is! I don't know at this rate how long the story will be but I can tell you that the next chapter will focus on Carlos talking to George. I love protective Carlos and it's not the first time where I've written a story which features Carlos in this way. Also I should mention, I don't know how much violence will feature in this story but I just wanted to be safe. Hope you guys enjoy this and if you have any ideas for how you'd like to see the story go, please let me know!

Another race weekend. This time it was Silverstone. Carlos was excited for his teammate. This would be Lando's first time racing in a Formula 1 car at his home race whereas Carlos had raced in Spain on a few occasions now as he had been in F1 longer than Lando. It was only Friday and he was excited to get in the car again. There was nothing better than the feeling of driving, especially since McLaren had been making some improvements over the past season. Things were looking good for the team. Carlos decided to go and see Lando before first practice. He hadn't had the chance to see him when he arrived at the paddock so he went to see him since he had finished his warm up before he went into the car. He was somewhat surprised to see Jon, Lando's trainer, wondering around the garage. Usually he was with Lando until he jumped into the car. The door was closed when he made it to Lando's drivers room. He knocked on the door quickly and opened it slightly. He froze at the sight in front of him. Carlos hadn't heard Lando replying that he would be out shortly, he had just opened the door. His mouth was open in shock. Lando was standing shirtless and yet Carlos could see bruises all over him. Did Jon know about this? Was this why Jon wasn't here? So that Lando could hide the bruises? The Brit just stared at him, speechless. Carlos quietly made his way into the room and closed the door behind him. He just stared at the bruises. Blue, black, green and purple. They were all over his torso, his arms and back. Carlos knew that Lando surely had been hiding them. It was quite a decent day on Thursday and yet Lando had been wearing a fleece. Carlos couldn't think if he'd actually seen his teammate wearing shorts. How many bruises did Lando have on him?

"Carlos." Lando said wearily.

The Spaniard swallowed thickly. He tried not to gasp when he saw what looked like a hand print marked on Lando's arm. Someone had grabbed him.

"Lando, who did this to you? Why do you have so many bruises?" Questioned Carlos.

Lando looked flustered.

"It's none of your business." He mumbled.

Carlos frowned.

"What are you talking about? I'm your teammate. I have the right to be concerned." The Spaniard argued.

"You shouldn't worry about me, I'm fine." Said Lando.

Carlos took a step forward but stayed where he was when Lando flinched. He looked at his teammate sympathetically. What was going on?

"You know I'd never hurt you, what's going on?" Carlos asked gently.

"Nothing, now can you please leave? I have to get ready for practice." Lando asked, impatiently.

"Lando, we have to talk about this." Carlos argued.

"Just go, Carlos." Lando snapped.

Carlos felt hurt. Lando had never been angry with him before, since the pair had become teammates, they hadn't really argued. Lando could see the look of hurt in Carlos' eyes but he kept quiet and turned his back on his teammate as he grabbed his fireproof vest. Carlos left Lando alone without another word. He closed the door quietly behind him. Now he had to go and drive in first practice? How was he going to do that? He made his way back to his drivers room and all he could think about was Lando. Who had been hurting him? Was it Max? He knew that the pair had been in a relationship for a few months now and whilst he knew that Max had a bit of a temper on him, he'd never seen Lando or Max argue. If they did, it was more about joking and banter between the pair. Max wouldn't hurt Lando, would he? If Max was hurting Lando, someone had to have words with him. Carlos couldn't think of anyone else who would want to hurt Lando. He had to speak to someone. He felt sick just thinking about Lando and the bruises. He didn't know whether he should speak to Max or speak to someone else. Carlos then looked at the schedule for the race weekend on his door and a thought crossed his mind. The drivers would be meeting tonight for the drivers parade. George and Alex would be there. They were friends with Lando from their F2 days. Maybe he could talk to one of them. Hopefully one of them could share some light on what was going on. Hopefully someone knew something because Lando was keeping quiet right now. 

As he made his way to the garage and was ready to jump into the car, he tried to glance over at Lando but he was too busy talking to his engineers. Understandable. Carlos would just have to keep his head down and think about Lando later. Hopefully he could get some answers because he didn't want Lando to be suffering. He didn't deserve any pain.


	2. Carlos talks to George

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carlos talks to George about Lando and also stumbles across the Brit's relationship with another driver.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter finally installed! This focuses on Carlos talking to George about Lando. It also features a little bit of Charles/George for fans of the pairing. Apologies for the fact that they only feature a little bit in this chapter. The next chapter will focus on Carlos confronting Max so let me know how you'd like to see this go! Hope you all enjoy this chapter and please continue to guess about who could possibly be hurting Lando.

Carlos didn’t have time to think about Lando during practice. He felt that Lando was avoiding him during lunch so he spent the time thinking about how he could approach either George or Alex to see if they knew what was going on with their friend. Again, during second practice Carlos was focussed on his driving. It wasn’t until later on when he headed off with Lando to the driver’s briefing that he was determined to speak to George. He had no idea who was closer to Lando, but figured it would be better to chat to George first and get his views before chatting to Alex seeing as the young man was in the sister team across from Max. Carlos felt bad that he was assuming that Max had something to do with this but he wouldn’t back down until he found out what was going on. The Spaniard had both George and Alex in his sights during the debrief. All he could focus on was Lando. The Brit wasn’t sitting next to him preferring to sit next to Max although Carlos didn’t know if that was Lando’s choice or not. He felt lonely although he wasn’t actually sitting on his own. He had to find out what was going on. Deep down he knew that he’d probably have to apologise to Lando for being nosey and to Max although he’d yet to voice his thoughts to anyone. He was taken out of his thoughts by a fellow driver asking a question. He really needed to pay attention before someone caught him daydreaming or even worse ask him to give an answer. When the debrief was over, Carlos tried to look out for George or Alex so that he could walk out with one of them and talk about Lando. He lost sight of Alex very quickly but kept an eye on George. That was until Nico came over to chat with him and lead him out, he glanced around quickly but the brunette was gone. A little while later, Carlos was wondering around the paddock on his own and caught the attention of laughter. It was George’s laugh. He walked in the direction of the sound and was surprised to see Charles and George hiding in between the motorhomes. They had their arms around one another as they smiled and laughed gently. Carlos frowned. Were they together? Was something going on? They looked a little bit too cosy to just be friends. Carlos swallowed hard. This was now or never. Whilst he didn’t really want to interrupt the pair, he had no idea when he’d next be able to talk to George alone. He cleared his throat and nearly winced when the two drivers jumped apart and blushed.

“Sorry to interrupt but can I speak to George?” Asked Carlos, nervously. 

Charles nodded slightly and leaned in to kiss George’s cheek. Carlos tried not to laugh as George’s blush grew deeper. The pair said mumbled goodbyes and the pair separated. George rolled his eyes as he turned round to face Carlos and saw him wiggling his eye brows.

“Shut up.” He muttered.

Carlos laughed.

“Never said anything.”

George sighed in exasperation and let a grin fall on his face.

“What’s up?” He asked.

Carlos looked serious.

“It’s about Lando.” He replied.

The grin dropped from George’s face. 

“What’s wrong?” He questioned, full of concern.

Carlos felt torn but then George was friends with Lando so it did concern him. He just didn’t know how to raise the issue.

“Do you know if someone has been hurting Lando?” He asked.

George frowned.

“What do you mean?”

Carlos sighed.

“I walked in on him in his drivers room earlier. He was shirtless and he was covered in bruises. I think that someone has been hurting him.” He replied.

George looked back at him with a grim expression on his face. Carlos was puzzled. Did George actually know something?

“Have you seen anything?” Asked Carlos.

George nodded his head a little.

“When we were in Austria, I noticed marks on his wrists. Like hand prints as if someone had been gripping them tightly. He must have noticed me staring because he pulled his sleeves down straight away.” George responded.

“Have you noticed anything else?” Asked Carlos, curiously.

George shrugged.

“Maybe the odd bruise here and there. I mean to be honest it made me think of the fact that he occasionally wears his fleece a lot. Maybe it’s to hide the bruises.” Informed George.

Carlos nodded.

“I’ve been thinking that too.”

There was a moment of silence before Carlos asked a question of which he was afraid of the answer.

“Do you have any idea of who could be hurting him? If someone is actually hurting him.”

George let out a deep sigh.

“I would think it’s got to be a family member or someone he’s close with. Someone he works with possibly but I don’t know.” He replied.

Carlos shifted nervously on the spot.

“You don’t think Max would hurt him?” He mumbled hesitantly.

George looked back at him in shock with wide eyes.

“Steady on, Carlos. I think you’re getting ahead of yourself.” He stated seriously.

Carlos looked puzzled.

“Why?”

“I really don’t think it’s Max whose been hurting him.” George replied.

“How do you know?”

“He asked me after the driver’s briefing if Lando was acting strange or different and said he had noticed bruises. He asked me if I had any idea if someone was hurting Lando or if he’d mentioned anything. A bit like what you’re doing now.” 

“So you don’t think it’s Max?” Checked Carlos.

George shook his head.

“Think about it, Carlos. If Max put those bruises on Lando, he wouldn’t be asking me where they came from. He’d be oblivious to them or make Lando hide them. I know Max can have a bit of a temper but so can other drivers. He’s really gentle with Lando. I’ve never seen them argue. Lando is really happy with him. I honestly don’t think it’s Max.” Reasoned George.

Carlos looked down at the ground. His assumptions were wrong. There was something in his mind telling him he needed to talk to Max and apologise for these assumptions. It wasn’t fair on him. George was right. Lando and Max were happy together and Carlos had to admit that Max had calmed down a fair bit since the relationship had developed.

“If it’s not Max it’s got to be someone from his family. Maybe management or something. I don’t know.” Carlos mumbled.

“Have you met his parents?” George asked.

“I’ve met his dad. He’s really nice. I’ve seen his mum around but I’ve never seen Lando interact with her in the paddock. It could be anyone, George.”

The young Brunette sighed.

“I think you should speak to Max. At least you know now that he has spoken to me. Maybe you should speak to Alex too. We’ve spoken about Lando before. He might have a better idea of whose behind this but for god sake, when you talk to Max, don’t you dare mention that you thought he was behind this.” George warns.

Carlos nods solemnly. The pair were interrupted by other people wondering about the paddock. They decided by just looking at each other that the conversation had to end before anyone heard about Lando. 

“I need to go.” Carlos mumbles.

“Message me after you’ve spoken to Max. I want to help Lando as much as you do but we can’t really do anything until we get some answers.” George explains. 

The Spaniard nods and the drivers part company. Both their thoughts filled with a certain driver. 

Later on in the night, George drove Charles back to his apartment in London seeing as he had asked his boyfriend to stay with him during the period of the British Grand Prix to which Charles had excitedly responded yes to. It wasn’t until the pair were parked outside the apartment that Charles dared to ask what the story was with Carlos. When the drivers had parted ways after Carlos had disturbed their little moment, both drivers eventually headed back to their teams then George later messaged Charles to say he was ready to give the young driver a lift. Neither had brought up Lando or Carlos but as they now sat in the car with the engine turned off, Charles’ curiosity got the better of him.

“What was that about earlier with Carlos earlier?” He asked.

George bit his lip nervously.

“It’s a secret. Well not really a secret. It’s just that we think something is going on with another driver and Carlos is assuming things. I don’t really want to say anything incase we’re just mistaking the situation.” He rambled.

“That’s alright. You don’t have to tell me.” Charles replied softly.

“It’s not that I don’t want to it’s just I don’t know if anything is happening. I mean it might not be a big deal but it might be.” George panicked, scared that Charles thought he couldn’t trust him.

His boyfriend chuckled gently.

“Hey.”

He stopped George from panicking by placing a hand on his knee.

“I understand. Whatever is going on, I hope it gets sorted.” He stated quietly.

George smiled at Charles and they both leaned in to share a soft kiss. Charles sighed into it as George lifted a hand to cup his cheek. They stayed like this for a few minutes until the need for air became too great and they broke apart. They gazed into one another’s eyes for a moment before Charles patted George on the knee.

“Come on, we can’t have late night. It’s quali tomorrow.” He winked.

George rolled his eyes as he followed Charles’ actions and got out of the car and the pair made their way into the apartment. George let Charles rest on his chest that night as he struggled to sleep, hoping that Lando would eventually be alright. Silently praying that this was a big misunderstanding as he also hoped that Carlos wouldn’t pounce on Max when the time came for him to talk to Lando’s boyfriend. There had to be some explanation behind this.


	3. Carlos Confronts Max

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carlos talks to Alex and confronts Max about his fears over Lando.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Happy new year! This is the first time I've written in 2020! Another chapter where Carlos talks to Alex and Max about Lando. I feel like I should mention that I have no idea if all the teams share the same hotel, I doubt it so for the purpose of this fic: McLaren, Red Bull and Toro Rosso all share the same hotel. Lando will feature in the next chapter, I promise, as Max and Carlos question the teen about his abuse. You'll also find out in the next chapter exactly who has been hurting Lando so keep guessing! Hope you all enjoy this chapter and any feedback is welcome!

Carlos was on a mission to talk to Max about Lando. The only problem was he had no idea what room number he was. He knew as he sat in the back of the car on the way to the hotel that he’d probably have to wait until tomorrow even with it being quali day. It would probably distract Max but Carlos had to talk to him at least before the weekend was over. He headed over to the lift and was surprised to see Alex shouting to hold the door. He did as he was told as the door began to shut but he stopped it so that the younger man could enter. Alex breathlessly thanked him and tried to control his breathing. Carlos leaned against the wall and looked over at Alex, he should talk to him as well since he was friends with Lando.

“Can I talk to you about Lando?” He asked.

Alex looked up at him having bent down with his hands on his knees, exhausted having been out on a run and not just running to catch a ride on the lift. He straightened up as he noticed that Carlos looked serious.

“Yeah but in my room.” Alex replied.

The Spaniard nodded and the rest of the ride went by silently. Alex led Carlos to his room once they got to the right floor. He quickly ushered the Spaniard in before heading to his small fridge to grab a bottle of water. When he turned around, he noticed Carlos sitting on his bed as he took sips of water.

“You wanted to talk about Lando.” Alex started.

The McLaren driver began fiddling with his fingers. 

“I think someone is hurting Lando. I walked into his drivers room yesterday and he was covered in bruises. I’m only discussing it with you because I was talking to George after the briefing and he said that the two of you had talked about it.” Carlos explained.

Alex sighed.

“We’ve noticed because we care. That doesn’t mean we know who it is, although I have a feeling I know who’s behind it.” He mumbled.

Carlos raised an eyebrow.

“Who? Alex, you have to tell me.” He insisted.

The young driver shook his head as he took another sip of water.

“Honestly, Carlos. You’re asking the wrong person. You should be speaking to Max. He would have a better idea than me. I only have my suspicions because of what I’ve seen and heard but I haven’t even said anything to George because I don’t want to be wrong.” Stated Alex.

“You’re sure it’s not Max who’s been hurting him?” Carlos muttered.

Deep down he knew he was wrong to keep accusing Max but then the young driver was known for having a bit of a temper. He did feel guilty and he felt worse when Alex looked at him, horrified.

“I seriously hope you’re joking. Max would never lay a finger on Lando.” Hissed Alex.

Carlos sighed and looked down, embarrassed.

“I’m sorry. I’m just really worried about Lando. He snapped at me when I asked him about the bruises but I can’t think of anyone who would want to hurt him. This can’t be a big misunderstanding either.” He said.

Alex looked at him sympathetically. He too was worried about Lando.

“I would speak to Max. He knows Lando’s family and management better than I do and perhaps he knows more.” He argued.

Carlos nodded in agreement.

“Do you know Max’s room number?” He questioned.

“I don’t but maybe you should speak to him before qualifying tomorrow. Alright, it’s not the best timing but you have to bring it up at some point and if Lando isn’t going to talk, you’re more likely to get answers out of Max.” Stated Alex.

Carlos got up of Alex’s bed and smiled sadly at the young driver.

“Thanks, Alex.” 

He heard Alex wish him goodnight as he left. That night, all Carlos could think about was talking to Max. He didn’t really want to talk to him knowing that he’d only go and blurt out his opinion that he thought Max was behind this but then again it would be one of his few options in determining what was going on. In the morning, Carlos’ only concern was getting to the paddock as quickly as possible to talk to Max. He left early to get to the circuit. He headed straight for the motorhome having overheard two Red Bull staff chatting and that’s how he knew Max’s location. No one questioned why he was there. He had told his cousin that he needed to talk to someone outside of McLaren and he would see him later or to give him a call if he was needed urgently. It was partially empty in the motorhome which meant Carlos was able to walk straight to Max’s drivers room. The room was silent and he didn’t bother knocking. Max looked shocked when Carlos came into his room, blocking the door and glaring down at him as the Dutchman was sitting on his massage bed.

“We need to talk about Lando.” Insisted Carlos as he crossed his arms over his chest. 

He noticed that Max had recovered from his immediate shock at his ex teammate’s arrival and was now looking concerned at the mention of his boyfriend.

“What about?” Max questioned quietly.

Carlos narrowed his eyes.

“Someone’s been hurting him, probably someone close to him. I walked in on him changing on Thursday and he was covered in bruises. He snapped at me and I know Lando would never normally do something like that so something is going on. I’ve already talked with George and Alex. They both said I should to talk you. Do you have something to do with this?” 

Max looked angry and he stood up abruptly.

“I would never lay a finger on Lando. I love him. I know something is going on, believe me but he won’t tell me and yes I am concerned about him but no I have nothing to do with it.” He argued, furiously.

Carlos’ gaze softened and he dropped his arms down by his sides.

“I’m sorry.” He muttered.

Max continued to look at him as he tried to calm himself down.

“I’m just really worried about him and I want to know that he’s alright. He shouldn’t be getting hurt.” Carlos continued.

Max nodded in understanding. Carlos looked at him curiously.

“Do you have any idea who’s behind this?” The Spaniard questioned.

Max slumped down on the massage bed and rubbed a hand over his face in frustration.

“I don’t think it’s his manager or his dad. There’s only one person I can think of and it’s only based on my interpretations of them. I won’t say anything until I’ve spoken to Lando and I won’t say anything to you either. I don’t want to accuse anyone unlike some.” He looked at Carlos, pointedly.

The Spaniard at least had the decency to look embarrassed again.

“Alex has his suspicions.” Carlos mumbled.

Max sighed.

“So do I as I’ve mentioned but I don’t want to say anything to them until I’ve spoken to Lando.” He said.

Carlos cocked his head to the side.

“The person that you’re talking about, are they here at Silverstone?” He asked.

Max nodded reluctantly.

“Are you busy tonight? Like after qualifying and debriefs and that?” Questioned Carlos.

The Dutchman looked confused.

“I don’t have any plans, why?”

“I suggest we both go and see Lando. Maybe he’ll actually talk if there’s more than one of us and then there’s no avoiding it.” Carlos informed.

“Do you really think it’s a good idea interrogating him the night before a race?”

“What other choice do we have? We’ll end up delaying it and then we’ll never find out what’s going on.”

The two drivers stared at each other and finally, Max agreed, nodding his head. Carlos felt a bit brighter, hoping that Lando would back down and talk to them.

“Meet me in the lounge once you’ve finished with dinner or debrief or whatever it is you’ll be doing. We’ll go up to Lando’s room together. I’ll message you when I’m headed back here.” Carlos explained.

Max sighed.

“Fine, we’ll talk to him tonight.”

There was a moment of silence between the pair.

“Can I get ready for practice now?” Max asked.

Carlos blushed and made to leave. Once he had the door open, he glanced back at Max.

“I’m sorry for accusing you. I just, I know you have a bit of a temper and you were the first person who came to mind. I’m sorry, it wasn’t right of me.” He mumbled in apology.

Max stared at him.

“I promise you, Carlos. I’ve never hurt Lando and I don’t plan on hurting him anytime soon.” 

Carlos knew just from the look in Max’s eye that he was telling the truth. He looked at Max for another minute before awkwardly closing the door behind him as he left and headed back to his own motorhome. 

For now, both drivers would have to focus on final practice and qualifying. They could focus on Lando tonight.


	4. Lando Reveals the Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lando tells Carlos and Max who has been hurting him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! The chapter you've all been waiting for!! Please don't kill me! Without revealing too much, the main reason for the person I've picked as the one who hurts Lando, is because I wanted to try something different. Obviously this doesn't happen in real life, so please remember this isn't real. Also I feel like I should mention that in the previous chapter I mentioned about hotels. I don't actually know if the drivers who live in the UK (like Lando etc) actually stay in their homes and travel to Silverstone or if they do stay in hotels. I didn't really want to go back and change the chapter or confuse myself so for the purpose of this story, everyone is staying in hotels. Hope you enjoy! Please continue to leave comments. There will be at least another two chapters after this to go.

After qualifying, Carlos was more determined to go to his room and sleep and just forget about the day. He would be starting 13th and he wasn’t looking forward to it. Whilst sitting in debrief, he glanced over at his teammate. Lando had qualified 8th which was really good for his home race but Carlos knew what would be happening later. He along with Max would be talking to Lando about what was going on. It probably wasn’t the best idea to do it in the lead up to a race but Carlos knew that they would end up delaying it and possibly Lando would be seriously hurt before they found out. They had to ask. At this rate, Lando wasn’t saying a word. He was distracted through most of debrief and was glad when it was over. Lando bolted from the room the minute it was over, Carlos didn’t know why. The Spaniard headed back to the hotel with his cousin and went to dinner. He messaged Max to let him know where he was. The Dutchman replied saying he had taken Lando out for dinner and that they would be coming back soon. Carlos wasn’t entirely sure what the plan would be. All he was aware of was that they were going to talk with Lando. He eventually bid goodnight to his cousin and went to wait in the lounge for Max, texting him when he got there. Around 10 minutes later, Max arrived without Lando. Carlos frowned and obviously Max took the hint.

“He’s gone to his room. He said he needed an early night.” The Dutchman explained.

Carlos nodded but swallowed nervously.

“Do you think it’s a good idea to go and disturb him?” Carlos asked now reluctant to go and question his teammate. 

Max narrowed his eyes.

“You were the one who suggested this. Come on, let’s go before it gets any later.” He said.

The pair went up in the elevator, standing in silence. When they got to Lando’s floor, Max got out first and led Carlos down the corridor. Max stopped outside a room and knocked on the door. The pair waited patiently and soon enough, Lando opened the door. He had changed into a jumper that belonged to Max and a pair of joggers. He rolled his eyes as he noticed Carlos standing in the hallway and started to close the door. The teen was stopped by a foot trapped in the door as Carlos had slammed it in place before forcing his way into the room, Max following at the back of him. Lando glared at his teammate as he crossed his arms over his chest protectively. Both Max and Carlos were watching him with concerned looks. 

“We need to talk.” Carlos stated bluntly.

“No you just want to be nosy.” Lando replied.

“Lando, we’re worried about you.” Max said, softly.

The young driver blushed at his boyfriend’s words. They had been dating for a few months now and Lando still got flustered whenever Max complimented him or when he was worried about him. The teen looked down at the ground.

“You don’t need to worry about me, I’m fine.” He said, quietly.

“Then explain the bruises on your arms.” Retorted Carlos.

Lando’s eyes snapped up to meet the Spaniard’s.

“That’s none of your business.” He stuttered.

“It is. I’m your teammate. Max is your boyfriend. You need to talk to us, Lando. Someone is hurting you and it needs to stop!” Insisted Carlos.

“I’m fine!” Lando shouted back.

Carlos sighed loudly.

“You’re not fine, Lando. Let us help you.” He tried to reason with the young driver.

Lando shook his head as he dropped his arms down to his sides as he scrunched up his fists in frustration.

“I don’t need help, especially not yours.” He replied.

“You need help and you’re going to get it if it’s the last thing I do.” Carlos responded angrily.

Without thinking, he made his way over to Lando, having lost his patience, he grabbed his wrist but instantly dropped it when Lando winced and tried to move away from the Spaniard. Carlos felt sick. He had flashbacks of seeing Lando with hand prints on his arms. What if he still had them now? What if he’d unintentionally hurt Lando? He opened his mouth to try and apologise but nothing came out. He turned when he felt a hand on his arm. Max was looking at him, shocked and worried.

“Come on, Carlos. You’re scaring him.” The Dutchman said quietly.

The McLaren driver took a few deep breaths as Max let go of his arm before turning to face his boyfriend.

“Lando, please just tell us what’s going on. We just want what’s best for you.” Max said, calmly.

Carlos felt numb as he looked at his teammate. The young driver was holding onto his wrist, tears in his eyes.

“I can’t.” Whispered Lando.

“You can’t or you won’t?” Questioned Carlos.

He didn’t mean to sound hurtful or angry but he felt like crying when Lando flinched.

“Carlos.” Max warned.

“Sorry.” The Spaniard mumbled.

Max kept his eye on Lando.

“Has someone been hurting you?” He asked carefully.

The brunette didn’t move for a moment until he decided to admit defeat and he nodded slowly. Max and Carlos turned to look at each other. They had an answer to at least one question. Max turned back to look at his boyfriend.

“Do we know them?” He asked.

Lando didn’t answer but the drivers caught sight of a tear rolling down his face. He didn’t have to say anything, the answer was yes. Carlos felt angry. Someone was hurting his friend and teammate and it was probably someone who loved him. At least it wasn’t Max but Carlos wouldn’t be happy until he heard the name of the person behind this. 

“Is it your manager?” Carlos questioned.

No answer.

The Spaniard sighed.

“Is it Jon? Someone in the team? Another driver? Come on, Lando, give us a hand here.” He said, losing patience again.

“It’s my mum! Are you happy now?” Lando shouted as he let out a sob.

The room was silent. No one knew what to say. More tears started to flow down Lando’s face and now Carlos felt guilty for his interrogation. He turned to see Max’s reaction. The Red Bull driver looked shocked and not entirely surprised both at once. It was as if he wasn’t surprised about who it was but was surprised by Lando actually admitting it. 

“Is that who you thought it was?” Carlos asked Max quietly.

He received a nod of the head. Lando was still crying and he’d crossed his arms over his chest again.

“How long has this been going on for?” Carlos asked gently.

Lando sobbed.

“I don’t know.” 

Carlos was stumped.

“What do you mean?” He asked, confused by his answer.

Lando sniffed.

“She’s always been so strict. She hates racing but dad wants to come to the races so she feels forced to go. Then when I don’t do well she gets angry. She was disappointed in Australia but happy after Bahrain. I can’t keep up with it all. She hit me after I came back from China. She said I was wrecking my chances of doing well and if I didn’t try hard enough that dad would stop supporting me. The first time she hit me was after China but she’s verbally abused me for years. When I was at school, when I was in karts, trying to get into F1. That’s why I moved out as quickly as I could, to get away from her. She doesn’t hurt anyone else. I mean I should be glad she doesn’t hurt my sisters but it’s always me.” He said quietly.

Max looked pain as he closed his eyes, listening to his boyfriend. Carlos couldn’t believe what he was hearing. A mother hurting her own son. He didn’t understand it.

“Does your dad know?” Carlos asked softly.

Lando nodded reluctantly.

“He’s been trying to keep her calm. She won’t do anything when he’s there or when other people are around. It’s just behind closed doors. I’m scared to be on my own with her.” He whimpered.

Carlos wanted to reach out and hug his teammate but he didn’t want to scare him.

“The bruises you have now, what did she do?” 

Lando looked petrified as if he was revealing his darkest fears. He swallowed thickly.

“Some are from after Austria. She went mental, said I’d never be as good as you or Max.”

“Oh, Lando.” Max said softly as he wiped a hand over his face as he tried not to break down.

“She came to see me a few days ago and warned me that I had to make my dad proud. I answered her back and she held me up against the wall. That’s where the handprints came from.” Continued Lando.

Carlos sighed. He finally had answers but now he desperately wanted to protect the young man and hide him away from his mother. It wasn’t fair that Cisca was hurting Lando.

“That’s why you have long sleeves on. To hide the bruises.” Stated Carlos.

Lando nodded.

“I don’t want anyone to see them.” He whispered.

“That’s why you won’t do anything in bed either, so you can hide them from me.” Max said.

He didn’t sound as if he was accusing Lando of hiding anything. He was just stating the facts.

“Max.” Whined Lando.

Carlos would have laughed had the situation not been as serious as it was. Lando was clearly shy even mentioning his relationship with Max.

“She needs help, Lando. So do you. This needs to stop. A parent shouldn’t be hurting their child, no matter how old the child is.” Carlos insisted.

Lando sobbed and shook his head frantically. 

“I don’t want anyone to know. Please, Carlos! You can’t tell anyone.” He panicked.

Carlos made to take a step forward but stopped when Lando moved away from him and wrapped his arms around himself.

“I don’t want to get her in trouble. I don’t want people to know! Please!” Lando begged.

Max couldn’t take it anymore and he ran forward, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend, closing his eyes tightly as Lando clung to him. The younger man sobbed his heart out, tears falling like a waterfall as Max held onto him. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” The Brit rambled.

Max ran a hand through Lando’s hair and kissed his temple.

“Shh, shh. You have nothing to be sorry for. We’ll look after you. Everything is going to be alright. We’ll fix this. I’ll protect you.” Max soothed.

Carlos was still standing on the spot watching the scene in front of him. He felt awkward, as if he was intruding but in a way he was glad to witness this. He was glad that Lando had someone like Max in his life and he felt guilty again for even thinking that Max was behind this. He just never imagined that it would be Cisca. 

Minutes passed and soon Lando’s sobs died down into hiccups. He leaned more into Max, feeling exhausted. His boyfriend was struggling to hold his weight but he knew that the young man just needed to rest. 

“Come on, let’s get you to bed.” Max whispered.

He moved back carefully with Lando still slumped in his arms. Carlos moved quickly to pull the bed covers back for the pair. Max nodded his head in thanks as he lifted Lando up bridal style, happy to see that he was now asleep but saddened to see the dried tears stains on his face. He placed Lando down onto the bed and quickly kicked his shoes off, hurrying all the more when his boyfriend whined and figeted on the bed with grabby hands searching for a certain someone. Max then got into bed and nearly rolled his eyes as Lando grabbed onto him in his sleep, hauling himself to lie on his boyfriend’s chest. He almost purred when Max ran a hand through his hair again. The Dutchman couldn’t even act embarrassed when he turned to see Carlos watching them. 

“I clearly don’t know Cisca that well. I had a feeling that something was going on because Lando gets on with his dad but I could never imagine her doing that. I never pushed to find out what was going on. I saw bruises, yes, but I didn’t know where they had come from.” Max said, sadly.

Carlos smiled in sympathy.

“It’s not your fault. You didn’t know. You’re here now though. That’s what matters.” He replied.

“What do we do about Cisca?” Max asked curiously?

Carlos shrugged.

“We’ll deal with her tomorrow. Right now, let him sleep and look after him.” He said softly.

Max nodded. Carlos was happy to see Lando sleeping peacefully and with that, he turned on his heel and headed out the door, turning the light off on his way past. Max sighed when the room was plunged into darkness. He pulled Lando closer, kissing his forehead and settled down, drifting into a deep sleep.

Carlos was right. They’d deal with the problem tomorrow.


	5. Witnessing the Hurt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max and Carlos witness Cisca hurting Lando.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! This time Max and Carlos witness Cisca hurting Lando and they realise that she really needs help. My plan is to add one final chapter, maybe where Cisca goes to anger management and she realises that she's been hurting Lando and wants to repair the relationship with her son. Let me know what you think. Hope you enjoy this story as it is nearly finished. Please leave comments! What would you like to see in the final chapter??

Lando was quiet in the morning when he woke, feeling embarrassed about breaking down. Max never mentioned what had happened the previous night, suggesting that the pair spend the night together in Lando’s apartment, just chilling. The teen agreed knowing that they had time to relax for a bit as there the race in Germany would be held in two weeks time. They went about their day. It was race day so they were both busy preparing and gearing up for the race. Lando had been excited considering it was his first home grand prix as a F1 racing driver but he had been a bit subdued over the weekend. Max hoped that he did well in the race. Max told Lando that he would catch a lift with someone to his house when he suggested going to Lando’s house. After the drivers parade, Max caught up with Carlos who was heading back to the motorhome.

“Hey, are you busy tonight? You know, after the race?” Max asked.

“No, I don’t have any plans, why?” Questioned Carlos.

“I’m going to Lando’s apartment, I figured we needed a chill night. Also, he’ll probably be tired what with all the media and everything since it’s his home grand prix. I was just wondering if you wanted to come to. Seeing as you two are good friends as well as teammates.” Max explained.

Carlos smiled and turned to look at his as they carried on walking. 

“I’d love to. Thank you.” 

Max smiled back.

“Great, I’ll message you after debrief and we can head over together. The main reason I was asking is because I need a lift.” He said cheekily.

Carlos elbowed Max’s side, shaking his head as Max laughed.

“Just consider yourself lucky that I actually have my car.” 

The pair laughed and went their separate ways. Carlos was quite surprised by the invitation. Not that he was complaining, but after his accusation towards Max, he didn’t think he’d be in the Dutchman’s good books. Max was right though. Lando really needed a night to chill after everything that had been happening. 

The race in itself was better for Carlos than it was for Lando. Carlos stormed through the field to finish 6th with Lando outside the points in 11th. Max finished ahead of Carlos in 5th, having been hit behind by Seb but was lucky to make it to the chequered flag. The Dutchman messaged Carlos after debrief so that they could meet to head to Lando’s place. Carlos was hanging around outside the motorhome waiting for Max as he would have to pass the McLaren motorhome to head out of the paddock.

“Hey.” A voice called.

Carlos looked up and grinned upon seeing Max.

“Hey, sorry about your race.” He told him.

Max shrugged.

“It’s fine. We still got some points and Seb apologised.” 

The pair headed out of the paddock as Carlos led Max in the direction of his car. They both put their bags in the boot before settling into the vehicle. Carlos turned to look at Max.

“Why did you get a lift from me? Surely Lando could’ve given you a lift.” He asked curiously.

Max laughed.

“His sisters insisted that they wanted their brother to drive them. He’s dropping them off outside his place. His mum and dad are going to drive to his apartment then take the girls home.” 

Carlos nodded in understanding. The pair talked about the race and their old days in Toro Rosso. Half way through the journey, Carlos nervously asked:

“What do you think Cisca’s reaction will be to Lando finishing out of the points?”

Max sighed.

“I honestly don’t want to know. Hopefully nothing will be said and he can just focus on Germany.”

The pair continued on their journey in comfortable silence, the radio playing in the background.

Meanwhile, Lando had already left the track with his sisters. They had demanded the day before to be able to ride in his car. Whilst Flo had been able to get a ride in it, Cisca Jr hadn’t and so Lando had suggested taking his sisters back to his apartment and meeting his parents there. He had to keep himself from wincing at the look his mum had given him. She looked murderous. He didn’t know why. He knew that his mum liked to be organised and wasn’t the biggest fan of change but he wanted to keep his sisters happy. Thankfully, she wouldn’t be able to do anything that weekend with everyone being around. When he got to the apartment, he couldn’t see any sign of his dad’s car and figured that he was still driving. He invited his sisters in and they made themselves comfortable before attempting to hijack his Netflix account. Time seemed to pass before there was a knock at the door. Lando went to see who was there and was stunned to see that it was his mum. He figured that his dad would’ve come to the door or texted him. Why had his dad let his mum come to the door, he wasn’t sure, probably to collect his sisters. He swallowed nervously as she glared at him. 

“Can you get your sisters please?” She asked quietly.

Lando nodded frantically and headed to the living room. He could’ve have easily shouted on them from the doorstep but he didn’t want to be with his mum on his own. His sisters groaned when he interrupted them but they dutifully turned the TV off and headed towards the front door. They both hugged him and thanked him for giving them a ride in his car whilst also wishing him well for Germany. He frowned as his mum made no attempt to move, instead she turned to his sisters and said:

“Tell your dad I’ll just be a minute, I want to talk to Lando.” 

They nodded and headed towards the car. Lando stepped back slowly as his mum made her way into his apartment. He really should’ve just slammed the door in his face. Why did she want to speak with him? She looked furious. Lando knew it was probably about the race result. He continued walking backwards, not really thinking about what he was doing or where he was going. It was within the blink of an eye that she rushed forwards and slammed him against the wall. This couldn’t be happening, not within his own home. He was praying that Max would come soon. Crap. Max was coming here. He would see what his mum was like. Lando didn’t know how he felt about that. He didn’t really have the time to think about it as he tried to control his breathing, wondering what his mum was going to do now.

“Do you really think that was an acceptable performance?” She asked.

Lando was speechless. What was he supposed to say?

“No.” He whispered.

“What was that? I couldn’t hear you.” She said through gritted teeth.

She tightened her grip on Lando’s shoulders and pressed him further back into the wall. He winced. He didn’t attempt to raise his arms to push her away not wanting to annoy her any further.

“No.” He said a little louder.

Cisca continued to glare at him.

“Carlos did much better than you and you outqualified him. How does that work? You should be doing better. Your father and I expect better from you.” She said, angrily.

She started to slam him into the wall. Lando had to hold back tears as the movement caused pain where he still had bruises on his back. 

“Please don’t.” He whispered.

His mum pulled away from him but then raised a hand and slapped him in the face. The action caused him to fall to the floor. His mum rarely slapped him, would rather kick him and cause bruises to appear in places that others wouldn’t see. He looked up at his mum in shock as he huddled in on himself on the ground. Cisca didn’t look apologetic whatsoever. She was still angry. 

“All that so called hard work is getting you nowhere Lando. Your teammate is much better than you.” She goaded.

Lando closed his eyes, trying to drown out his mother’s words. He knew that he was harder on himself than what the team were. He knew that he could do better. 

“Look at me when I’m talking to you!” She shouted.

She kicked him in the stomach and he sobbed. He wanted his mum to leave him alone. Why couldn’t his dad see what was happening?

“I raised you to respect people and yet your not respecting us.” She stated furiously.

She kicked Lando again, harder. When he curled in on himself and started to cry, she continued to kick him and did it harder.

“Look at you, you’re weak. No wonder Max and Carlos are better drivers than you! It’s a waste of your time when you can’t even finish in the points. It’s a waste of my time having to follow you around!” She snapped.

Cisca knelt down on the floor and let out a cry of anger when Lando attempted to back himself away from her. She grabbed his wrist painfully. Lando whimpered knowing the hand print marks would appear again as they had healed themselves over the weekend. He cried out when she twisted his wrist.

“Please stop, please.” He begged.

Cisca snarled as she let go, Lando sobbing in relief. His wrist was red and fingerprints were marked into it. She stood up slowly and glared down at him. 

“You know if you made your father proud and actually did better, I wouldn’t have to do this.” She argued.

Lando looked up at her tiredly, praying that she would just leave. No, that didn’t happen. She pressed a foot down onto his chest and he struggled, trying to move it off him as he couldn’t breathe. The foot was pressing down on bruises that were still on Lando’s body from the last time Cisca had got angry. The pain in his back increased as he was lying flat on the ground. He sobbed and begged with his mum to stop. He prayed that Max would come and help him.

Meanwhile, Max and Carlos were still on their way to Lando’s place. The Dutchman frowned when he spotted Adam’s car when they pulled up outside the flats. What concerned him more was that he was sure that Cisca wasn’t in the car. He was proved correct when he and Carlos got out of the car to be greeted by Adam.

“Hey, Cisca said she wanted a word with you and Lando.” Adam said, he looked confused.

“Yeah, well I’ve only just got here.” Max said impatiently.

He turned to look at Carlos who appeared to be very worried and all three men raced in the direction of Lando’s apartment. They could hear shouting from outside the door. Max immediately pushed the door open and was stunned to see the sight in front of him. Cisca had a foot on Lando’s chest, pressing him into the ground, occasionally lifting it up and down to hurt him. She was shouting in Dutch and Max knew she was angry. Neither Cisca nor Lando noticed that they had an audience. Adam stood there stunned. It wasn’t often that he got to witness Cisca angry or hurting Lando. Carlos and Max rushed into the flat. The Spaniard grabbed Cisca and pulled her away from Lando, shoving her in Adam’s direction. He held onto her as she took deep breaths in, having been interrupted, she had to calm down now to explain herself. Max was now on the floor, having helped Lando into a sitting position, he cradled his boyfriend in his arms as he sobbed. Carlos looked back between Lando on the floor and Cisca by the front door, not knowing what to think. He glared at Cisca who attempted to look innocent.

“Get out of here.” He warned.

Cisca opened her mouth, wanting to answer back but Carlos pointed a finger at her.

“You are an evil and horrible person. You really need help. Lando doesn’t deserve this.” He argued.

Cisca glared at him. Carlos looked at Adam seriously.

“You need to get her help. She has serious anger issues.”

Adam nodded his head softly. His eyes teared up as he looked at his son on the floor in the arms of Max. 

“Look after him.” He said softly.

Carlos nodded and let out a deep breath as Adam dragged Cisca out of the apartment. The Spaniard went and closed the door behind them. He turned around and headed over to the two drivers on the ground. He knelt down beside them. Lando was no longer sobbing but he was crying silently.

“How about we move you to the couch? You’ll be more comfortable there.” Carlos suggested.

When Lando tried to move, he winced in pain and the two other drivers looked at each other in concern. They both took one of Lando’s arms before gently helping him up and onto his feet. Lando had to bite his lip to stop himself from crying out in agony. His whole body was sore. They carefully led Lando into the living room slowly and carefully helped him sit on the couch. Carlos went to the kitchen to get some ice. Max sat down beside Lando and wrapped an arm around him. His boyfriend rested his head on his shoulder, content knowing that he wasn’t alone now. Lando whimpered when Carlos placed the ice packs on him. He didn’t even ask why Carlos was here not having been told by Max that he was inviting his teammate. The Spaniard stood beside the pair, looking down at Lando.

“What happened, Lando?” He asked.

Lando shook his head sadly.

“Please, Carlos. I don’t want to talk about it.” He whispered.

Carlos looked like he wanted to argue but he stayed quiet when he noticed the look that Max was giving him. He remembered what happened when he and Max had interrogated Lando when they had first been trying to find out what was going on and it didn’t go well. His teammate looked exhausted, so he decided that they could deal with it later. Max announced that he was going to Lando’s bathroom to grab him some pain killers. The younger man whimpered when his boyfriend got up off the couch but quietened down when he felt a kiss against his forehead. The two McLaren drivers were left alone but they stayed quiet, Carlos not wanting to upset the younger man by asking him questions when really he should be resting. Max eventually returned with some pills and a blanket. Lando carefully removed the ice packs and put them down on the couch, ignoring Max’s look of concern. The Dutchman wrapped the blanket around Lando before going into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water, also taking the ice packs back to put them in the freezer. Lando gratefully took the pills with the water before cuddling into the couch and wrapping the blanket around him. Max ran a hand through his boyfriend’s hair, trying to get him to fall asleep. Lando looked at him sleepily.

“I’m not going anywhere, have a little rest.” Max said, softly.

Lando closed his eyes and let Max stroke his hair as he fell asleep, exhausted after what happened. The Dutchman carefully removed his hand from the Brit’s hair. He sighed as he stood up and went into the kitchen. Carlos followed at the back of him.

“Cisca really needs help. I can’t believe Adam left the two of them together.” Max said.

Carlos leaned against the fridge, watching Max as he stood with his hands holding onto the worktop.

“She must have said something to him because he thought you were in with Lando. I don’t think he would have let Cisca go in if he thought Lando was alone.” Answered Carlos.

Max ran a hand through his hair.

“She really needs help. I just don’t think she’ll allow it. I don’t think she realises she has a problem.” Max announced.

Carlos nodded in agreement.

“Well something has to be done, we can’t let this go on.” 

The pair stood in silence but it didn’t last long. Max frowned when he heard crying and hurried back into the living room. Lando was clearly having a nightmare, thrashing around under the blanket with tears streaming down his face. Max nearly cried at the sight of his boyfriend. He quickly sat down beside Lando and pulled him onto his lap, blanket and all. He shushed Lando gently and tightly held onto him. The teen gripped the front of Max’s top as he calmed down. Max rested his chin on top of Lando’s head, making no comment when brown hair tickled him. Carlos smiled sadly at the couple. Max loved Lando and he would do anything to protect him. He knew that they had to find a solution to Cisca’s anger. Whether it had to be anger management, Carlos didn’t know but he was sure that Cisca would probably refuse help. They couldn’t necessarily ban Cisca from seeing her son but this wasn’t a loving parent and child relationship. He walked closer to the pair and sat down on the couch, giving them space as he watched Lando sleeping peacefully once more.

“We’ll have to call Adam and talk about Cisca.” Carlos stated.

Max nodded his head slowly. He didn’t want to talk about it now. He just wanted to be there for Lando. There was no avoiding the situation though. Cisca needed help and quickly.

For now, Max was happy just to hold Lando in his arms, feel his soft breathing. He kissed his temple and held him close to him. 

They would fix Cisca and Lando’s relationship. They had to.


	6. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max, Carlos and Adam deal with the fallout of the previous night when they witnessed Cisca hurting Lando.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter! This is a long one and I can't tell you how difficult it was to write this. Having not experienced any abuse, I can only say I wrote this as realistic as possible by in my own words and thoughts. I'd like to thank kakkakerssi and SpeedySuarez for their words on the previous chapter and for their guidance. It is so incredibly difficult to write about something you have never experienced, it is probably just as worse writing something you have experienced. In this chapter, Max and Carlos realise that fixing the relationship between Cisca and Lando won't be easy and so this final chapter seeks to focus on Adam and Lando's relationship as well as how the three adults help Lando and Cisca. Thank you so much to everyone for their support, advice and comments on this story! This is the longest story I have ever written and I am so grateful for all the support. It's one of the most challenging stories I've written but at least I can say it's tested me as a writer.

Max continued to hold Lando, just content to sit and hold him in the quietness of the room as Carlos played on his phone. Several hours passed and Max felt his eyes droop. He sat up a little straighter, careful not to rouse Lando from sleep.

“I think I should get Lando to bed.” He said quietly to Carlos.

The Spaniard looked at his watch. It was around 9:30pm but he knew that Lando would be exhausted after what had happened since he was still asleep. He nodded. He dreaded thinking about the drive back to London but he couldn’t leave it any longer.

“I should go.” He said softly.

“Stay. You can stay in Sacha’s room. Please, it’s already late.” Insisted Max.

Carlos nodded his head.

“I should at least get our bags out of the car.”

He got up and huffed when Max looked as if he was going to argue but he couldn’t move with Lando being on top of him.

“No, just stay with Lando.”

Max kept quiet and did as he was told as Carlos left to go and grab the bags from the car. Lando let out a murmur in his sleep and Max stilled. After a minute or so, he ran a hand up and down his boyfriend’s back and the teen settled back into sleep. His eyes were drooping again by the time Carlos returned. He carefully ran a hand over his face as the Spaniard came back into the living room, bag slung over his shoulder.

“I’ve left your bag in the hallway.”

“Thanks.”

Max looked down at Lando, knowing he would have to move him and guide Carlos to Sacha’s room. He placed Lando carefully on the sofa beside him, being thankful that he didn’t wake up. Carefully, he lifted him into his arms and made his way over to the door and walked past Carlos. He went up the stairs slowly as they were narrow and he didn’t want to hurt Lando by accidentally walking into anything. The drivers stopped on the landing and Max cocked his head in the direction of Sacha’s room.

“His room is through there. I think we should call Adam in the morning, he needs to talk with Lando. If you wake up before us, just grab breakfast or anything you need from the kitchen. I’m sure Lando won’t mind.” Max said, softly.

Carlos gave him a sad smile and murmured good night before going into the bedroom. Max watched him go before gazing down at Lando then turned and went to his boyfriend’s room.

In the morning, Carlos headed downstairs and was surprised to see Max standing in the kitchen, looking out of the window. Lando was nowhere in sight so Carlos assumed he was still sleeping.

“Hey.” He called out.

Max turned to look at him.

“Hey. Lando is still asleep, I thought it would be best to just leave him.” He said.

“Yeah I figured that’s where he was.”

Max sighed.

“I’m going to call Adam later when Lando is up, they need to have words. Adam knew about it, the abuse.”

Carlos tilted his head as he regarded the young Dutchman in front of him. 

“Are you okay?”

Max looked shocked at the question.

“My boyfriend has been getting abused by his mother and I’ve not been able to do anything because I didn’t know. Not really.” He huffed.

Carlos sighed.

“It’s not your fault.”

Max nodded slowly.

“I just wish I could’ve done something.”

They stood in silence for a minute before Carlos went to the fridge and grabbed a carton of juice, grateful when he went over to stand by Max that he saw an empty glass waiting for him seeing as he didn’t know the layout of his teammate’s kitchen. He poured the juice into the glass before putting it back into the fridge. Taking a small sip, he turned to face Max.

“We need to talk to Adam about getting help for Cisca. She shouldn’t be allowed near Lando until she’s seen someone.” Carlos said.

“She doesn’t know what she’s doing, Carlos. She didn’t look guilty yesterday. It was as if it was our fault for it ending. She needs help but we can’t exactly force the issue when she can’t see what she’s been doing.”

Max leaned against the worktop as Carlos continued to drink.

“I think Lando needs to go and see someone. He doesn’t want anyone to know and I understand that but she’s been kicking the confidence out of him and he needs to realise that whilst Cisca is his mother, she’s supposed to be protecting him.” Max continued.

Carlos nodded.

“I agree.”

He looked out of the kitchen and into the direction of the living room door, not wanting Lando to interrupt. He felt guilty talking about his teammate behind his back but he deep down he knew it was for Lando’s own good.

“How did he sleep last night?” He asked gently as he turned back to Max.

“He was restless in the early hours. He calmed down eventually. It kills me that I can’t be here all the time.” Max sighed.

Carlos raised a hand and placed it on Max’s shoulder. 

“He’s lucky to have you though.”

Max smiled.

Carlos dropped his hand when Max moved away from him, noticing that Lando was now in the living room, blanket draped around his shoulders as he looked at the two drivers with a sleepy expression.

“Hey, do you want some breakfast?” Max asked, softly.

Lando nodded and he quietly made his way over to the sofa and sat down, arms wrapped around his knees which were pulled up to his chest. Max gave Carlos a small shove and he joined Lando in the living room whilst the Dutchman prepared food. The Spaniard put the TV, knowing that the young driver probably didn’t want to talk and Carlos didn’t want to cause an argument. There were things that had to be said but it could wait until later. The three drivers had their breakfast in silence. Max just grabbed three bowls and filled them with granola, apologising to Carlos when he brought the bowl out because he didn’t know what the Spaniard liked to eat. Carlos just laughed at him and took the bowl, trying not to shove it down as throat as no one had eaten last night due to what had happened. He noticed the way in which Lando curled up beside Max, not wanting to be parted from him. He’d never seen Lando so attached to the Dutchman for as long as he’d known about the relationship. It was a while later when they were all still sitting in the living room having finished their breakfast that there was a knock at the door. Max frowned, he had no idea who it could be. He attempted to get up but Lando whined so Carlos rushed to get up and headed towards the door. He swallowed heavily when it opened to reveal Adam, Lando’s father.

“Hey, can I come in?” Adam asked.

Carlos noticed that he looked nervous. He said nothing as he held the door and let the older man step through.

“He’s in the living room.” Murmured Carlos.

Adam slowly made his way to the door with Carlos following at the back of him. Max and Lando turned as one and were shocked to see Adam standing there. Lando was nervous, Max could tell. He cuddled closer into Max’s side and clutched tighter at the blanket which was still wrapped around him. Adam went and sat down at the other side of Lando, carefully keeping the space between them as he wasn’t sure how Lando was feeling. Carlos went and sat down again, watching Adam carefully, wanting to know why he was here.

Adam cleared his throat.

“I need to speak with Lando.” He said, addressing Max and Carlos.

Lando whimpered and grabbed Max’s arm, having battled with the blanket to release his limbs. Max rested a hand on Lando’s knee.

“Do you want us to stay with you?” He asked gently.

Lando nodded frantically and looked back at his dad. Max and Carlos glared at Adam, as if they were expecting him to challenge. Adam sighed and nodded in understanding. Lando let go off Max’s arm as the Dutchman released his grip on his boyfriend, letting the younger man lean back against him as he turned to give his attention to his father. Adam was silent for a moment.

“I threw your mother out of the house last night. She’s staying with a friend for now.” 

Lando was speechless.

“Do you think that was wise?” Max asked.

Adam raised an eyebrow.

“How do mean?”

“Well what if she comes back here to hurt Lando again?”

Adam tried not to visibly gulp in front of the Dutchman. He did have a point.

“I was thinking about the girls. I don’t want Cisca to hurt them.”

“She’s not hurt them yet. Only Lando. He’s the one you should be concerned about.” Carlos stated.

Adam’s nostrils flared in frustration.

“Of course I care about Lando.” He snapped.

He deflated when Lando whined at the raised voice. Max turned to glare at Carlos before turning back to Adam.

“We’re not saying you don’t care. What we’re saying is you need to look at the situation realistically. It’s all fair and well to say you’ve kicked Cisca out but it’s not solving the whole problem. She needs help, professional help. How would you feel if she hurt one of the girls or hurt Lando so much that it put him in hospital? I’ve come to realise that this isn’t a problem that can be fixed overnight. I don’t know if Lando will trust Cisca again. He doesn’t like to be alone with her but what happened last night has changed things. I, for one, don’t trust her.”

Adam sighed as he took in Max’s words. He turned to look at Lando. His son looked really vulnerable. He actually looked like a child as if he was wanting his dad to make everything better and protect him. Adam wasn’t sure if he could do that. Last night’s events had affected him so much. The family had driven home in silence. He had lied to his daughters about why Cisca had to leave. He couldn’t tell them. Now he was wondering what to do with his wife. He had kicked her out. It was the first time he had actually witnessed her physically assaulting Lando. He had heard hurtful words come out of his wife’s mouth but what he saw last night was ten times worse than what he’d ever seen before. It was Oliver who expressed his concerns over Lando. His own son couldn’t tell him, he had to ask about it. Lando had told him one night about what Cisca had been doing but Adam couldn’t be sure he was giving him the whole truth. The way that Lando was looking at him now was the same way he had looked at his father the night he told him about the abuse. He looked just as young and as innocent.

“Lando. I’m so sorry this happened and I’m sorry I didn’t do more to protect you. Your mother won’t come to any other races. I’ll take her to therapy. We’ll get it sorted. This isn’t going to be sorted overnight. I know that, but we have to start somewhere.” Said Adam, gently.

The young Brit nodded slowly and sniffed. Adam was aching to pull his son into his arms and hug him tight but he didn’t want to upset him by touching him. Max looked between Carlos and Adam, knowing that they were all in a difficult situation. 

“This is going to be difficult for all of us. Cisca needs help, but she needs to see what she’s doing and how her anger has affected Lando. This isn’t something we can fix overnight, it will take time.” He said seriously.

Adam nodded his head, solemnly.

“I have a friend whose a therapist. I’ll call him when I’m home and I’ll explain the situation.” He said calmly.

Lando’s eyes widened.

“No, please. I don’t want anyone to know!” He begged.

Max shushed him gently and rubbed a hand up and down his arm. Adam’s heart broke at the sight of his son nearly in tears. 

“I’ll just tell him that your mum has issues with her anger, I won’t mention your name. It’s just to see what he suggests.” Adam says soothingly.

Lando gazes up at his dad, a tear falls from his eye before he flings himself into the older man. He sobs into his shoulder as he feels arms tighten around his back. Adam runs a hand through his son’s soft hair, whispering apologies and words of comfort. Max turns to look at Carlos. At least everyone was on the same page. Lando would have to get help as well. That was something he would probably refuse too but Cisca had hurt him alot. Max could relate to having a strict parent but he’d never been hit by either his mum or his dad. He just knew that both Cisca and Lando needed help. He turned back to watch Adam and Lando. They both held each other tight, Adam comforting Lando who continued to sob into his father’s shoulder. Eventually, Lando slumped in his dad’s arms, feeling exhausted. Adam pulled away and was met with a pair of sleepy eyes. He chuckled softly as he kissed his son’s forehead.

“Why don’t you have a little rest, hmm? Max and Carlos will stay with you. I’ll sort everything, I promise.” He whispered.

He got up off the sofa and encouraged Lando to lie down as the young Brit groggily rubbed a hand over his tired eyes. He gently lifted his son’s head to place a cushion underneath for comfort when the younger man lay cuddled up on the sofa. Lando let out a deep sigh when Max pulled the blanket over his shoulders and leaned in to kiss his forehead. The three men watched on fondly as Lando slowly fell asleep. Adam looked down at Max who was sitting by Lando’s feet just watching his boyfriend.

“I should go. I have things to do and I suppose I better call my friend about Cisca.” 

Max nodded and got up, looking to Carlos before moving.

“Stay here. I’ll show Adam out.”

Carlos nodded and let Max lead Adam to the door. Max held the door open and Adam went to stand outside for a minute.

“I think Lando should see a therapist. After everything he’s been through, I think he needs to talk to someone.” Max said.

Adam nodded.

“I think you’re right.” He said quietly.

They stood there for another minute, not knowing what to say.

“I’m sorry. You probably think I’m a bad father for letting this happen but I had no idea how bad it was.”

Max shook his head urgently.

“No, you have nothing to be sorry for. I feel as guilty as you for not insisting that Lando tell me what was going on. Look, this isn’t going to be fixed straight away. I think Cisca needs to stay away from Lando for a while. We all have to be there for him. We have to support him in this. If you don’t want to tell Lando’s sisters, fair enough, but I reckon they’ll notice that something is going on and besides you’ve kicked her out. They’re going to ask questions.” 

Adam sighed.

“I don’t know if I can let her back into the house, knowing what she’s done. She’s hurt my son, Max, my child.” His voice cracked.

Max looked at Adam with sympathy. 

“Call your friend and ask for advice. I’ll talk to Lando about seeing a therapist. I know he’ll probably refuse but we have to try.” Max advised.

Adam placed a hand on Max’s shoulder and squeezed hit gently.

“Thank you for being there for him.” He whispered.

Max gave him a small smile. With one last squeeze on the shoulder, Adam left Max and headed out. The Dutchman closed the door behind him as he made his way back to the living room. Lando was still sleeping as Carlos played on his phone. The Spaniard watched as Max sat down beside Lando’s feet and slumped against the cushions, letting out a deep breath.

“You alright?”

Max looked up at Carlos wearily.

“We have to talk to him about seeing a therapist. I know he’ll refuse but he can’t keep this bottled up.”

Carlos nodded in agreement. 

Lando was still asleep an hour later and stirred from his nap to find Max and Carlos watching a random documentary on Netflix. He rubbed a hand over his eyes and sat up straighter. Max felt movement and turned to see Lando sitting up and looking at him.

“Hey, did you have a nice sleep?” He asked kindly.

“Yeah.” He replied quietly.

He ran a hand through his hair and looked around the room before his eyes settled back on Max again.

“Where’s dad?”

“He left after you fell asleep.”

Lando didn’t say a word as he slumped against the sofa. Max reached over to grab the remote from the table and turned the TV off seeing that Carlos now had his attention back on Lando.

“Lando, we need to talk.”

The teen fiddled with the blanket that was still wrapped around him. His boyfriend sounded nervous and it made him feel sick.

“We think that you should see a therapist. You need to talk to someone about what’s been going on.” Max said gently.

Lando looked at Max, then Carlos and back at Max. He couldn’t be serious. He didn’t want people to know. Tears started to gather in his eyes.

“No, I don’t want to.” He whined.

Max resisted the urge to sigh as he held onto Lando’s knees which were curled up on the sofa under the blanket.

“You don’t need to tell them that it’s your mum. You just need to talk about your feelings and emotions, you can’t bottle things like this in.” Max stated.

Lando looked like a small boy in comparison to the nineteen year old he actually was, his bottom lip trembled and he was close to crying. Max raised his hands to cup Lando’s face.

“If you’re mum is going to get help then so should you. Please, Lando, for me.” Max insisted.

Lando looked into Max’s eyes and he knew that his boyfriend wasn’t going to back down over this. He nodded his head slowly in defeat, relaxing slightly when Max gave him a small smile and kissed his forehead.

“I’ll message your dad later and maybe we can have a chat with his friend. You don’t have to speak to him on your own, I’ll be there or Carlos will be with you.” Max informed him.

Lando nodded.

“Later.” He whispered.

“Later.” Agreed Max.

He pulled his boyfriend against him so that Lando could rest his head on the Dutchman’s shoulder. Max looked over at Carlos, they’d made one small step but there would be many more. They all sat in silence for a while.

“Maxy?”

“What’s wrong?”

Lando swallowed nervously.

“I don’t want mum to come to Germany.” He admitted softly.

Max tightened his grip on his boyfriend.

“I’ll call your dad about that too. If you don’t want her there, we won’t let her near you.” Max replied gently.

“I don’t want to see her again.” Whispered Lando.

Max looked at Carlos who frowned at the statement. Neither felt comfortable asking Lando what he meant so they decided to leave it. Right now, Lando was safe. His family knew what was going on and he wasn’t going to see Cisca anytime soon, not if Max or Carlos could help it. They just had to be there for Lando.

Max and Carlos were there every step of the way. Later that day, after Carlos had gone home, Lando called his dad’s friend and he broke down on the phone telling him what had been going on. Since then, he had been going to therapy sessions with Max or sometimes Carlos when his boyfriend was in the garage. It was all about taking small steps. Sometimes Lando came out of a session feeling lighter and other times he felt deflated. As it turned out, Cisca returned home during the summer break. She realised she had a problem when she snapped at Flo during one of her riding sessions. The horse had nearly thrown her daughter across the field as the animal was startled by the raised voice. She had never snapped at either of her daughters and she immediately felt guilt for things she had done and said to Lando. It wasn’t all plain sailing for Cisca. She reluctantly went to anger management and likewise with Lando, some sessions she came out feeling better and lighter and other times she felt angered more than ever. Cisca couldn’t face Lando. She hadn’t been to any races. Her heart broke when she realised that she’d have to tell her daughters where she had been. Why she had been kicked out of the house and why she had been going to anger management. 

Lando didn’t ask about his mum. He focused on his racing and his relationship with Max. For Adam, it was difficult. Neither his nor son wanted to see each other for different reasons and so he had to deal with the fact that if Lando wanted to see his mother, or vice versa, it would be his decision to make. Both Max and Carlos noticed that Lando seemed happier without his mum around. They had to admit that it did the world of good to see his confidence being slowly restored but at the price of currently having his mum out of his life. Adam brought the girls over to see Lando over certain weekends where there wasn’t a race. The only person missing was Cisca. Adam didn’t want to ruin everything by bringing Cisca without Lando’s permission so he did it his son’s way. Carlos enjoyed seeing Lando happy but he noticed that his teammate never mentioned his mother. Whilst he had hoped that the two would have been able to fix their relationship, there were wounds in Lando’s life and Carlos had to accept that life wasn’t easy and if Lando wanted to see his mum and wanted her to be part of his life again, he would do so but in his own time.

For Adam, Max and Carlos, they had no idea what the future would look like. If Cisca and Lando would be able to fix their relationship or if it was over for good. What they did know was that they would be there for Lando, supporting him every step of the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why does Lando say he doesn't want to see Cisca? I suppose in a way I wanted him to be free, in terms of the fact he's had to tell Max and Carlos what's been going on and he knows deep down that the abuse will stop but it's been so painful for him that he doesn't want to see Cisca alongside his family, never mind on her own.


End file.
